We were so excited to get away for three days to Paige, Texas and stay in the best farm house ever, so roomy...it accommodated all nine of us well! It's a four bedroom house with three baths, so that was perfect. There was a huge back patio for dining, and so much room in the living area and kitchen for dining and playing. We would definitely go back! For another season, there's a fire pit and a fireplace - so we want to return in the fall. The backyard was huge, there was a donkey and a horse to feed, a volleyball net, a playground, lots of sandy soil for digging and it really was the best getaway - during off of the world's craziness.
On the way, we stopped in Cedar Creek, Texas to visit the Dinosaur Park, which had just recently opened back up. It's a park full of dino sculptures and scavenger hunt signs, and it has a picnic area as well. We all loved the trail, hunting for the hidden objects, and we brought sandwiches to enjoy after the trek.
Right near the park we had seen a ZOO sign and followed it to a rustic Capital of Texas Zoo - and thoroughly enjoyed the animals there. The kids even got to feed a hippo! (That was an extra fee.) There were tons of prairie dogs (so cute!), lions, a bear, snakes, so much! It's not a fancy zoo by any means, but super enjoyable and adventurous! Peacocks roam freely, as well!
On to our farm house, where we set up to have fun... We brought items to make our own mini golf course - which was great fun. We used mostly what we had and a few things from the dollar store to set up a nine-hole course that we all played before sundown.
We enjoyed dinner - mediterranean pasta - on the patio and great conversation questions around the table.
The next morning we drove over to Omi's Blackberry Farm (she opened just for us!) None of us had ever picked blackberries and we each got a bucket and did it! The owners there are SO NICE. They told us how to tell if the berries were ripe, how to pick sweet or sour, and how to freeze them once we got them home. Everyone loved the experience. This farm was only about 10 minutes from our house.
Back to the farm house, we grilled burgers, played backyard lawn games (we had ordered some from Amazon and brought others like a big sprinkler ball). The kids dug in the dirt, and we talked and played Wavelength, and ate again. This evening we decided the girls would have a spa/Barbie (we made a house from cardboard and scraps from a job site) and the boys would build and shoot. This was such a fun evening. Dinner was a nacho skillet meal and tater tots.
The final day we enjoyed a big breakfast on the patio, while the kids dug in the sandy soil again (this was their favorite activity). We then all went on a scavenger hunt on the property (15 acres) down to a pond and back. We had printed out things in nature to find, and the kids took a pen and marked off as they found them. Hiking with family is the best!
Lunch was calzones and pigs in a blanket, and we squeezed in every minute of time to play until it was time to pack up and head home. The owners of the farm house even let us stay way past checkout time.
I can't say enough about the cleanliness, roominess, coziness and all of the amenities of the farm house in Paige. It was definitely one of the best places we've stayed, as a family. A great place to get away again and again...to the peace and beauty of nature and time away from the noise.
